


I Sing In Silent Harmony

by burningqueen



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-27
Updated: 2011-04-27
Packaged: 2017-10-18 18:01:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/191664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burningqueen/pseuds/burningqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Sometimes, Guinevere," he said, trying in his half drunk way to sound as sage as possible, "I wonder if you'd know who your type was if he was standing right next to you."</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Sing In Silent Harmony

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Porn Battle IX prompt Gwen/Merlin, unspoken.

When Merlin first met Gwen, he was being publicly humiliated. "I saw what you did," she said to him, "It was so brave!" And even though she went on to insinuate that he was neither strong nor classically good looking, something about her caught Merlin's attention. And she kept his attention the second, third, and fourth times they met, in the hallways as he was delivering tinctures for Gaius and she was scurrying around doing whatever it was the Lady Morgana needed of her at the moment. After the incident at the feast with Lady Helen who was not really Lady Helen and Merlin being appointed as Arthur, the prat of a crown prince's manservant, Gwen took Merlin aside to explain his basic duties and generally make sure that he wouldn't make more of a fool out of himself than was strictly necessary.

"Now, when you make the prince's bed," she told him, "be sure to leave the warming stones above the first layer of bedclothes. Boys with more experience than you have lost their jobs from that silly little mistake." She smiled at him for a moment but then her smile began to look strained and then crumbled completely. "I mean--" she stumbled, "that is to say--not that I think you're inexperienced or silly. I mean--you are inexperienced--but--not that that's a bad thing?"

Merlin smiled indulgently at her. Gwen's habit of saying more than she meant, which would probably have been annoying on any other girl, had quickly become incredibly endearing. "Thanks, Gwen," he said, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course you will, Merlin." And with that and a shy smile, Gwen was off to her lady's chambers, glancing back towards Merlin once with another small smile.

She taught him how to apply and clean Arthur's armour, how to properly do laundry in the basins in the castle basement, about the proper etiquette for servants at feasts; and the whole time Gwen asked for nothing more than Merlin's thanks. Merlin wondered what more she could want; surely no big city girl could be quite that nice.

Things continued on like that up until the post-tournament feast during Merlin's second week in Camelot. The hall was alight with chatter about Arthur's spectacular victory over the cheating, magic-wielding Valiant, and Merlin himself was flush drink and pride at having saved the day and pleased to have been welcomed back into Arthur's employ after their falling out, even if the man was a pain to deal with. Gwen found him that night in the corner of the hall away from the crowds after she had wandered away from Lady Morgana. They were both a little drunk off the wine that was flowing freely.

"Arthur was wonderful out there, wasn't he?" she asked, the candlelight catching her hair and her eyes, making her whole face light up beautifully.

"Yeah, yeah, he was pretty good," Merlin agreed. The pang of _that was pretty much all me, actually_ had gotten duller as the night went on, but when it was Gwen bringing up Arthur's heroics, the knife twisted again, just a little.

Gwen's eyes widened almost comically as she took in Merlin, who must have looked a bit put out. "Oh no!" she gasped, "I didn't mean anything by that! It was just--just--conversation, you know. Something to talk about."

"I know, Gwen."

"I didn't mean to imply that Arthur was better than you in any way, Merlin," she continued as though he'd never interrupted her, "I mean, yes, he's handsome and charming and brave but you--you--" she was looking at him slightly funny now, in a way she'd never looked at him before. And then, before Merlin even knew what was happening, Gwen was grabbing his face with both her hands and pulling him in for a shy, but surprisingly powerful kiss. Merlin, surprised--but not in any way unhappy about this turn of events--returned it eagerly, letting the world around them fade away until it was just Merlin and Gwen, two people sharing one perfect moment. They stayed at it for what seemed like several minutes but was probably much less in reality, until they couldn't breath any longer and were forced to let the world back in.

Afterwards Gwen's cheeks turned a shade of pink Merlin had never quite seen and she quickly turned away from him and hurried from the hall.

After that, Merlin considered bringing it up again but her look of surprise and almost regret stopped him. Yes, Gwen was a beautiful girl, and sweet, and kind, and obviously he'd been interested in her since that first day when she hadn't laughed at him in the stocks, but he just didn't know how to talk to girls, not to have that conversation anyway. In Ealdor it'd just been him and Will and sometimes they had fooled around together, and sometimes he'd taken one of his neighbours' daughters into the barn and fooled around with her--life was boring in the country, a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Camelot, and there was not much else to do--but it had never meant anything; it had never been something that he needed to discuss afterwards. But Merlin could tell that whatever it was that he and Gwen were starting or were already in, that meant something and warranted a real discussion.

But they never did talk about it, though that didn't keep it from happening. Most of the time it was the same as it had always been, the two of them meeting in the laundry room and gossiping about Arthur and Morgana and the other lords and ladies who seemed to never stop coming through the castle. Gwen told Merlin all about growing up as the maidservant to the king's ward and Merlin told Gwen about Ealdor and what it was like to grow up on a farm where your very survival depended on the success of the harvest. But sometimes, like when they both found themselves with an afternoon free and decided to spend it together in the field behind the castle, it was different. That time, it started out like any other day but before Merlin knew it, he was wrapping his arm around Gwen's waist and pulling her closer, into his embrace, with their lips locked together and her tongue down his throat. After that, he took her hand and silently walked her home and let her off at the door, never to bring up the incident with anyone ever again.

The next day was the feast welcoming Bayard and the dignitaries from Mercia. Gwen only laughed a little when she saw the ridiculous hat Arthur had made Merlin wear. But then Merlin had been accidentally on purpose poisoned by an evil sorceress disguised as a servant and the next thing he knew, he was waking up and then Gwen's lips were on his in a flurry of excitement and he could feel the blush all over his face as she stammered through an apology and he told her it was fine, more than fine, even.

And when, a short time later, Merlin found himself once again slightly drunk at yet another royally sanctioned celebration and chatting with Gwen as usual, they came the closest to talking about it that they ever would. "Sometimes, Guinevere," he said, trying in his half drunk way to sound as sage as possible, "I wonder if you'd know who your type was if he was standing right next to you."

Gwen sighed. "You're probably right," she said.

Merlin just smiled and reached for his next mug of ale.


End file.
